LivingIslam - IslamicTradition _webblog

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Intro: Shaykh Muhyi al-Din Ibn `Arabi is concerned with believers becoming limited to what they have found to be true from the Real. He reminds us that God - Allah - as He really is, is not the same as the God that many people may imagine to be, although Allah is not absent from this specific form either [i]. Allah is unlimited, but the believer's imagination, or opinion of God - Allah - is naturally limited.→ Lâ ilâha illa-LLâh.

There have been many instances when Shaykh Muhyi al-Din's teachings have either been misunderstood or misused. They are misunderstood by those who don't understand the special concepts which he uses (and the whole of his methology) and misused by others who quote from some of his seemingly liberal statements to support their perennialist ideas.

While perennialism maintains that all world-religions are equally valid ways to God, and that it does not matter which religion to adhere to, this is not the islamic position.[a] → However, we see that all authentic revealed religions are faced with the same satanic dangers which threaten everyone in every society in this world, therefore it is absolutely necessary that those who see those dangers, strive hard against the evil and its various aspects.

Shaykh Muhyi al-Din - also called the Greatest Shaykh - illuminated the inner teachings of Sufism (tasawwuf) which form part of islam's orthodox teachings and islam's metaphysical philosophy, so obviously his texts are craving, and support is necessary here as elsewhere on the Way. CertainlyShaykh Muhyi al-Din is after all a defender and beacon of the Divine Law[b] as brought by Prophet Muhammad (saws), the Shari`ah, which includes as its essence tasawwuf and the knowledge of God (ma`rifah).

In the following text-excerpts some of his thoughts are presented on the diversity of beliefs and schools, with our comments [in brackets].And Allah knows best and most.